Sit/Start Week 5: Reviewing All Fantasy Relevant Players In Every Single Game

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, October 8th, 8:20 PM ET

Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara California

Betting Odds: SF -3.5, 45 total via PFF.com

Network: NBC

Writer: Justin Mello (@JustinMelloNE on Twitter)

Dallas Cowboys

Quarterbacks

Dak Prescott (Sit)

This might be a slightly controversial take, but I don’t trust Dak Prescott at all this week. Despite the success of the Cowboys this season, Prescott is only averaging 227 passing yards and one touchdown per game. This could be partially due to the Cowboys playing with big leads and being conservative, but even against the Cardinals when Dallas was playing from behind, Prescott only scored 14.36 fantasy points. In Week 5, Prescott gets the 49ers defense which is ranked by PFF as the number one overall defense, number one in tackling, number one in pass rush, and number five in pass coverage. This is as tough of a road game as Prescott will ever see. You may want to keep him on your bench for this one, even in 2QB or Superflex formats.

Running Backs

Tony Pollard (Start, RB1), Rico Dowdle (Sit)

In his first season without Ezekiel Elliott in town, Tony Pollard is getting true workhorse treatment. He has 73 carries and 15 receptions through four weeks despite often playing with big leads and being rested toward the end of games. I wouldn’t expect Dallas to pull away early from the loaded 49ers squad, so Pollard should be in for a full workload on Sunday night. Furthermore, San Francisco hasn’t been as impressive against the run as they have been in other areas. They have allowed the twelfth-fewest fantasy points to running backs this season which is undeniably solid, but it is not elite. It is still a tough matchup overall, but Pollard should get enough work to be a decent RB1 in Week 5. Rico Dowdle has looked pretty good as a backup, but he only has 25 touches on the year and is playing just 15% of offensive snaps. There is no reason to start him.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

CeeDee Lamb (Start, WR1), Brandin Cooks (Sit), Michael Gallup (Sit), Jake Ferguson (Start, TE2)

I know I’ve already hit on it multiple times, but I can’t stress enough how tough of a matchup this is for the Cowboys’ offense. Nonetheless, CeeDee Lamb deserves to be treated as a WR1 this week. He is the clear and undisputed top receiver in this offense and is targeted on 22% of his routes run. The Cowboys may have to air it out quite a bit to keep this game competitive, and Lamb could be in for a sizable workload. He doesn’t quite have the crazy ceiling that other receivers in a better matchup have, but he should be a reliable low-end WR1 on Sunday night.

The newly acquired Brandin Cooks has been disappointing this year while dealing with a knee injury and putting together underwhelming performances when healthy. However, I do genuinely believe brighter days are ahead for Cooks who hasn’t really been needed much to this point as the Cowboys’ defense has helped establish early leads. Cooks actually led all Cowboys receivers in snaps last week, so it’s clear Mike McCarthy wants to get him involved. There is a good chance he starts to put together solid fantasy performances, but I just wouldn’t count on it this week. PFF ranks Cooks’ matchup against San Francisco as one of the hardest of all NFL receivers. I think he is a low-end flex option if you’re in a pinch and are just looking for an upside, but he’s a little too risky for my taste. Similarly, Michael Gallup has operated as the third receiver on this team and is difficult to trust in this matchup. He should remain benched.

Jake Ferguson has done a great job of taking over the Dalton Schultz role in this offense and has really become a viable fantasy option. He likely will be matched up with Fred Warner frequently this week who is one of the best linebackers in pass coverage in the entire league. Because of this, he is more of a TE2 than a TE1 on Sunday night.

San Francisco 49ers

Quarterback

Brock Purdy (Start, QB2)

Earlier I mentioned that the 49ers have the highest rated defense by PFF. The Cowboys are second. They are also ranked third in pass rush and second in pass coverage. In other words, this is a tough spot for Brock Purdy. Luckily for him, he has a loaded cast of weapons and a great offensive line in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Shanahan will try to make it as easy as possible for Purdy, and they should be able to move the ball down the field and create scoring chances. The matchup limits Purdy to being a lower-end QB2, but a QB2 nonetheless.

Running Backs

Christian McCaffrey (Start, RB1), Elijah Mitchell (Sit)

Don’t overthink this one. It’s Christian McCaffrey! He’s not only an RB1 every week, he’s in contention for being the RB1 every week. He has scored at least one touchdown in thirteen straight games going back to last season, and he is matchup-independent. Fire him up in that RB1 slot with confidence. As for Elijah Mitchell who has missed time with a knee injury, he is the clear backup even when healthy. McCaffrey is a workhorse and Mitchell is just a high-end handcuff. Unless McCaffrey were to get hurt or his usage was to be drastically decreased, Mitchell belongs on the bench.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Deebo Samuel (Start, WR2), Brandon Aiyuk (Start, WR2), Jauan Jennings (Sit), George Kittle (Start, TE1)

After an absolutely stellar performance in Week 3, Deebo Samuel left Week 4 without a target. There is no reason to overreact though. He didn’t practice all week due to injury and was largely used as a decoy as the 49ers comfortably beat the Cardinals. He is still an integral part of the offense who gets manufactured touches, has played 87% of offensive snaps this year, and has been targeted on 22% of his routes run. The 49ers would be wise to get him more involved on Sunday after another week of rest in what should be a closer game than last week. With that said, the Cowboys have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to the wide receiver position this season which could be a problem for Samuel. His ceiling is probably lower than it usually is, but he should be a solid WR2.

His teammate Brandon Aiyuk faces the same challenge against the impressive Dallas secondary. He hasn’t gotten the manufactured touches that Samuel has, but he has gotten great volume in the passing game and has been used as their top prototypical receiver. He has been targeted on 29% of his routes run and has outscored Samuel in two out of three games that they have both played in. Despite a concerning matchup, he should get enough looks to be a low-end WR2. Jauan Jennings only has seven targets on the season and is the fifth option in this offense at best. He can remain outside of your lineup.

At tight end, George Kittle has started a little slower than his drafters had hoped for. McCaffrey, Samuel, and Aiyuk have seemingly taken on more of a predominant role in the offense than him. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better option at the shallow position though. He has the third-best matchup advantage of all tight ends this week according to PFF and will likely be lining up across from Jayron Kearse who has struggled in pass coverage. He should be in your lineup if you have him.